This course defines the physico-chemical principles and entities that underpin the degradation of works of art, and discusses advanced materials and methodologies for their remedial conservation.
Topics:
the degradation of works of art; systems for the consolidation and deacidification of artifacts; detergency, and systems for the cleaning of artifacts; polymers and systems to confine cleaning fluids in macromolecular scaffolds; case studies.
Handout and bibliographic material proposed by the teachers
Learning Objectives
Knowledge and Understanding: the course aims to train students on the chemical principles underlying the processes of degradation of works of art and modern techniques and materials used for their preservation.
Learning skills: Through the presentation of the different chemical-physical processes and various case studies, the methodologies underlying the most modern restoration techniques will be reviewed.
Critical thinking: critical capacity in the analysis of the degradation process and the most suitable techniques for its remedial and preventive conservation.
Communication: ability to communicate with appropriate vocabulary the skills acquired during the course.
Prerequisites
-
Teaching Methods
Lectures
Further information
(no additional information)
Type of Assessment
Oral test in order verify the knowledge and autonomous judgment.
Course program
Aims: This course will focus on the basic principles of chemical sciences necessary for understanding the degradation of works of art and for designing conservation materials; this fundamental knowledge will serve as a tool to solve selected issues related to conservation science, which can be promptly translated to a broad range of applications in academic and non-academic fields.
Lectures:
• works of art from a chemical-physical point of view; Degradation and conservation; Principles of surface chemistry.
• Consolidation: synthesis and application of nanoparticles and colloidal systems for the consolidation and deacidification of works of art.
• Self-assembly and soft matter related to materials for art conservation.
• Detergency.
• Cleaning systems:
Micelles, microemulsion and more complex fluids;
• Confining cleaning systems in macromolecular scaffolds: Gels; Gel Definition and Gel Classes (physical and chemical gels); Hydrogels and Organogels; Gels with Advanced Architectures
(e.g. semi-interpenetrated)
• Selected Examples of Gels as Scaffolds
• Confining a complex system (micelle, microemulsion, etc.) into a gel to boost activity and fine control of the confined system. Case studies: cleaning of classic and modern art (Pollock, Picasso, De Chirico, etc.).